Xiaomi's First Android One Phone Mi A1 is Official At Rs 14999 With 4GB RAM, SD625, Dual Camera, All Metal Body & More

Xiaomi has taken wraps off it's first Android One phone - the Mi A1. Being an Android One device, the phone is powered by stock variant of Nougat 7.1.2 out of the box and will be updated to recently released Oreo 8.0 by the end of the year. Google's Global Director of Android Partner Programs Jon Gold has assured that the Mi A1 will be receiving monthly security patches and will be one of the first devices to be updated to Android P.

Coming to hardware specifications, the Mi A1 is powered by Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 625, a chipset Xiaomi has been using a lot. The device sports four gigs of RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. Xiaomi didn't mention in its presentation whether the device includes a microSD slot but we hope that's the case since not-so-common-anymore headphone jack and IR Blaster are present in the Mi A1. The Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display which is backed by Corning Gorilla Glass (Xiaomi didn't state the iteration number of Gorilla Glass).

Throughout the launch presentation, Xiaomi's Director of Product Management Donovan Sung kept comparing the Mi A1 to premium segment devices like the iPhone 7 Plus. Xiaomi claims to offer flagship level features with it's budget segment Mi A1. And to it's credit, Xiaomi has enough to back it's claims. The Mi A1 features an all metal body design and Sung said that the device is "made entirely from aluminium." An all metal body design is indeed a rarity at the budget price segment. The Mi A1 is being marketed as an affordable device with "flagship dual camera." The Mi A1 is onboard the trending train of dual rear cameras. Xiaomi has taken the LG-route for the dual camera setup on the A1. Just like the LG G6, the A1 has a telephoto lens coupled with a wide-angle lens. Both the cameras clock 12MP, while the front facing camera has 5MP to its name. The A1 can take portrait shots with depth of field effects like Bokeh. 2x optical zoom along with 10x digital zoom can be used to take quality in-depth shots from the A1. It's worth noting here that during the course of the presentation, Xiaomi compared pictures taken with the A1 to that of the iPhone 7 Plus and the OnePlus 5. It would indeed be interesting to see how the camera shots of the phone turn out to be in real life.

With the A1, Xiaomi has ditched the microUSB in favor of USB Type-C. The speaker grill is present alongside the USB-C port at the bottom edge which also comprises of the headphone jack. Xiaomi has assured users of a high quality audio experience. The device will go on sale for Rs 14,999 (approx $234) at 12PM on September 12 and can be brought online via mi.com or Flipkart or from Xiaomi's Mi Home retail stores, which are currently only five in number throughout India. The phone will also be available from a group of offline retail partners which are listed below.

The device will be available in three colors - Black, Gold and Rose Gold. Xiaomi has said that the device will be available globally starting from India. A complete list of the countries in which the Mi A1 will be available can be found below.

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.

Xiaomi's First Android One Phone Mi A1 is Official At Rs 14999 With 4GB RAM, SD625, Dual Camera, All Metal Body & More
Reviewed by Krittin Kalra
on
9/05/2017 02:42:00 PM